Published
by the Church of Scientology International

The Church of Scientology begins celebrating the 76th anniversary of Clearwater's
landmark building, the Fort Harrison Hotel, in January 2003.

The anniversary season will be kicked off with the 76th Anniversary Gala on
January 18. Last year's black tie 75th Anniversary Gala was attended by more than
500 guests from throughout Pinellas County and became one of the most talked about
social events of the season. This year's Fort Harrison anniversary gala promises
to be an even more spectacular affair, befitting the long tradition of celebrations
at Clearwater's "Grand Dame."

Though by invitation only, the gala will be followed by a series of special
events and four weeks of daily open house for everyone in the community.

76th Anniversary Community Celebration and Open House, January 19

The Church of Scientology invites everyone in the community to join the 76th
Anniversary celebrations. Visitors are invited to tour the Fort Harrison and a
new exhibit that answers the question, "What is Scientology?", as well as listen
to live entertainment. Refreshments will be served.

Daily Fort Harrison Open House, January 20 - February 16

Following its 76th Anniversary celebration, the Fort Harrison Open House will
be held daily for four weeks. During this period, the Hibiscus Restaurant will
be open to the public for lunch and dinner. All visitors are invited to tour the
hotel and the new "What Is Scientology?" Exhibit to learn more about the activities
of the Church of Scientology and its members.

Community gatherings, weddings and other special
events at the Fort Harrison create cherished memories today just as they have
since the 1920s. The hotel often features popular exhibitions on the Church of
Scientology or the life and work of the religion's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Among
the thousands of visitors to such an exhibit in recent months were (right) Tampa
fire and rescue dog Jessie, who served at Ground Zero in New York after 9/11,
trainer Roger Picard of the Tampa fire department, and members of Cub Scouts Pack
313 with pack leader Tom Wright.

Sunday at the Fort Harrison — Weekly Open House

Beyond February 16, the weekly "Sunday at the Fort Harrison" open houses will
continue.

Visitors are invited to learn more about the Church, its members and its community
betterment activities in Clearwater and cities throughout the world.

All are invited to join us in this new year, and to share in the 76th anniversary
of Clearwater's most famous citizen, the Fort Harrison Hotel. *

Contact:Mary Story
Community Relations Director (727) 467-6860

What is Scientology?

The
Scientology religion comprises a vast body of knowledge and discoveries about
life, including basic and empirical principles of the human spirit. The word Scientology
itself comes from Latin "scio," to know, and "logos," study — and literally means
"knowing how to know." Thus practice consists of study and individual counseling,
with exact procedures to help a person to increase understanding of his own spiritual
nature and potential, his relationship with others, and with life itself. This
spiritual counseling is known as "auditing," a word which comes from the Latin
"audire" meaning "to listen."

Auditing is administered by an auditor, a minister precisely trained in the
exact procedures of the counseling that is found only in the Scientology religion.
In training, whether to become a fully qualified and practicing auditor or not,
Scientologists gain a thorough understanding of the philosophy and basic principles
of the religion, and learn to help others on a one-on-one basis with an actual
spiritual technology that has a broad and practical application to all aspects
of life.

The religion is not dogmatic, even with respect to the Supreme Being, which
it embraces but does not define for the individual. Rather, Scientology provides
knowledge and the means for the individual to come to know for himself, and practical
help he can use to improve his own life and the lives of others.

Fort Harrison: Increasing service to the community

Once the Flag Building is
complete, the Church will be moving offices currently in the Fort Harrison Hotel
to the new building.

As a result, restaurant and meeting facilities of the Fort Harrison that are currently
open for public use on a limited basis will be more available to the community.
These include the Hibiscus Room, a 4-star restaurant which serves continental
cuisine; the auditorium, which seats 1,800; and the elegant Crystal Ballroom on
the 10th floor, currently used by parishioners and other Clearwater area residents
for weddings and community celebrations. With its majestic ceilings and magnificent
views of the Gulf, the ballroom is an incomparable location for catered events.

Additionally, rooms inside the Fort Harrison once used for religious counseling
will be reconverted to hotel rooms for visiting parishioners.

The full Fort Harrison Hotel will also then be back on the tax rolls, although
the Church is already the largest tax contributor downtown.